Restrictions eased on number of mourners able to attend funerals at Derbyshire crematorium

Posted by james brindle | Published: 01/07/2020


Bretby Crematorium has issued new guidance on the maximum number of mourners able to say goodbye to loved ones at the Derbyshire venue.

Based on the latest announcement from the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) and following the introduction of new social distancing measures, Central England Co-op Funeralcare, which owns and operates the site, is now able to increase the recommended number of mourners.

Therefore, with immediate effect, the recommendation will increase from 10 to 24 mourners in the Carnarvon Chapel and from 10 to 14 in the smaller Anglesey Chapel.

Webcasting facilities of services which have been offered in an effort to allow everyone who cannot attend services due to the Coronavirus to be able to say goodbye remain available.

Additionally, Central England Co-op Funeralcare has announced the Gardens of Remembrance at Bretby Crematorium have now reverted back to normal opening times (9am-8pm) with visitors asked to continue to respect social distancing guidelines.

Hazel Moss, Head of Funeral, said: “As a Society, we continue to work with the guidelines issued and operate to a COVID-19 secure environment. We are doing this in the interests of keeping everyone safe and well, both our colleagues and families.

“We understand how difficult it has been for families who have lost loved ones to have faced restrictions in the number of mourners who can attend services, so we are pleased to now be able to increase the recommended numbers to allow more people to say goodbye to loved ones during these uncertain times.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and any further changes will continue to be made in line with government advice and industry guidance.”

A number of previous changes introduced by Central England Co-op for the safety of colleagues and families remain in place until further notice, such as curtains being closed around coffins, hymn books removed from chapels and the main office on site remaining closed to the general public.

For more information about the measures in place and arranging funerals at this time visit https://www.centralengland.coop/funeralcare/faqs

People can keep up to date with what is happening in their communities by visiting a dedicated online hub at www.centralengland.coop/updates

 

Notes to editors

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK with interests in food, funeral, floral, travel and property investment.

Co-operatives have always been there for their communities; they were formed to protect them and help them flourish. 

Our 7,900 colleagues serving our Members and customers work hard to ensure that co-operative values, principles and spirit flow through everything we do to help support and improve our local communities.

Owned by hundreds of thousands of Members, we have over 430 trading outlets across 16 counties including West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. 

We are proud of our reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.

We invest a percentage of our trading profit into local communities through our Community Dividend Fund scheme, have donated over £1.3 million to our corporate charity partner Dementia UK and also operate a pioneering food redistribution partnership with FareShare Midlands so unsold food goes to those in need.

Visit www.centralengland.coop for more information or follow us on Facebook or Twitter using @mycoopfood

Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle

Phone - 01543 421390

Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop